When Tampa Bay Wave looked to grow its hub for tech startup companies in the region, the staff immediately reached out to under-served communities with entrepreneurs hungry for help in growing their businesses. Today, Tampa Bay Wave supports about 100 companies, 45% of which have minority founders and/or women founders.
Applications are open through April 30 for tech entrepreneurs to get in on the action. The TechDiversity Accelerator, funded by the Nielsen Foundation, is a free 90-day program for early-stage companies that are at least 51% owned and operated by veterans, minorities, women, disabled persons or LGBTQ persons.
Because of the program, more people feel like they have a fair shot at financial independence, said Tampa Bay Wave President Linda Olson. “We experimented for a while. Ultimately, we started conversations with people who share our values at Nielson Media and came up with this more meaningful program.”
Tampa Bay Wave typically chooses about 10 startups for the accelerator program each year. Just in the past year, two alums have taken in more than $10 million in investment capital. “We focus on strategic introductions to customers and investor prospects,” Olson said. “Companies need capital to thrive and grow.”
To learn more about Tampa Bay Wave and the accelerator, visit tampabaywave.org.
